Welcome to History House

History House is primarily about the county of Essex but there are many other interesting things on History House including tips, advice, and resources to help you research your ancestors; and interesting and unusual stories from British history.

The history of Essex

Essex has a fascinating past: from the haunting scenery of the salt marshes to its fields and picturesque villages, and from the River Thames to Britian's first capital and oldest recorded town. Dip into the history of its towns, villages, parishes, and its people with History House.

Essex A to Z

Great Dunmow

Detailed information on each town and village in Essex is available through the A to Z directory.

Each location's page includes extracts from the 1848, 1863 and 1874 county directories which detail the history of the location and a list of the main inhabitants. A useful resource for tracking movements of your ancestors between the ten-yearly census.

Other useful information may include voters in elections, education and schooling, criminal cases, paupers and workhouses, and suggestions on other websites which may help you.

Law and Order in Essex

Essex Court Cases

Ongoing project to create a list of Essex court cases with the names of those involved. Information extracted from 19th century newspaper reports and gaol calendars. Also a guide on how to find information on your criminal ancestors in Essex.

Snippets

When researching for this website we often find a little snippet of information on a location or subject which may be of interest. Some are quirky, some show that there is nothing new in this world, and some about the attitudes and morals of the time. Here are some examples, or look at our index to snippets.